Hampton tabbed as conference player of the week

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CORVALLIS, Ore. – Oregon State softball first baseman Natalie Hampton has been named the Pac-12 Conference Player of the Week for her performance in the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic last weekend in Palm Springs, Calif.

In the five games the Beavers played, Hampton hit .400 (6-for-15) with four home runs and seven RBIs. She has now homered in five of her last six games and six of her past eight. Hampton had hits in all five games and has now hit safely in 10 straight, tying for the team’s season-high hitting streak. Hampton slugged 1.200 and walked four times last weekend to push her on-base percentage to .526.

She scored six runs last weekend, with three coming in the Beavers’ 11-0 win over Colorado State. Hampton had three multi-RBI games and a multi-hit game against Maryland.

It’s not as if Hampton just found her stroke in Palm Springs. She currently leads the team in the triple-crown categories with a .431 average, eight home runs and 22 RBIs. For the season, she is slugging .941 and has a .508 on-base percentage.

“I’m proud of Natalie,” head coach Laura Berg said. “She’s worked extremely hard and has played very well these last three weekends.”

She is the first conference player or pitcher of the week for OSU since Mary Claire Brenner on Feb. 16, 2010, and is the 35th all-time for Oregon State. Hampton is the first Oregon State freshman to win the award since Audrey Roderfeld in March 2008.

The No. 24 Beavers have won 11 consecutive games and travel to the Easton Invitational in Fullerton, Calif., this weekend. Their first game is Friday morning at 9:00 a.m. against Iowa.